itaewon ( 이태원 )
DESCRIPTION
Itaewon ( 이태원 ) Itaewon is a city district, in Yongsan-Gu, part of Seoul. It is arguably the best area for foreigners to shop and is frequented by a lot of U.S. military personnel and many American tourists. I have shopped there on nearly every trip I made to Korea. POTTERY. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
There are a bunch of
pottery kiosks in Itaewon. A
variety of vases, bowls,
cups, and other things
can be purchased.
Some items are very
inexpensive, but others are
quite costly (depending on craftsmanship)
.
POTTERY
A variety of designs, styles, and colors await the shopper at quaint
pottery places.
This little bubbling Buddha would have been interesting to
have in one’s house!
There are also a number of stores
that sell antiques and
brass artifacts, some of them
related to fishing other
occupations. Note the old
musical instruments
placed on the sidewalk in front
of the store.
BRASS
An interesting collection of brass
diver’s helmets (and other sailing items) were in this store.
Next to the brass store was a music store—the
trumpets caught my eye.
As a nation steeped with history and the religion of
Buddhism, there are Buddha figures
everywhere.
Most Buddhas are smiling and rotund, as was this golden fella in a store front window I passed.
Then, in front of him are “Say no Evil,” “See no
Evil,” and “Hear no Evil” Buddhas.
Just what you need for your living room—great
conversation pieces!
BUDDHAS
Now we are talking!
Some great golf bags
were in this store—pretty pricey, though
(made from ostrich or alligator hide).
GOLF BAGS
Korea is known for sewing—labels, patches, nametags…on baggage tags, shirts, hats,
and much more. This small area was full of options.
Reds, whites, yellows, greens,
blues, pinks—tags, handle wraps, and much more, some done with just your name and others
with small icons or personal art.
There are lots of these kiosks in
Itaewon that sell these items, a
popular item for the military and for other
travelers.
COLORFULTAGS
I had a few bag tags sewn while I waited; we
are still using them!
I finally decided to take the plunge—and have
a nice suit made in Korea.
The Korean tailors are well known for making custom-fitted suits; they have lots of great material and you can have a suit made that is superbly done. My suit is not shown—it was a darker, pin-striped suit…
and I love it.
While walking the streets of Itaewon, I spied a fire station and a nice, new (and very clean) fire engine parked
in front.
Near the fire station was a police station—with a
couple of police motorcycles parked out front (and one
small scooter). Not far from the station sat a clean
police car.
Crime is kept to a minimum in Korea; for one thing,
there are no guns allowed. (You NRA guys, don’t take
offense!)
As I departed Itaewon, not far from the stores and restaurants, I photographed a cluster of homes—crowded together with no space between. Land is at a premium
in Seoul.